CHURCHILL, Winston S.

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Typed letter signed, justifying his actions in the Antwerp Expedition and the Battle of Coronel. A long, impassioned letter from a politically wounded Churchill, defending his reputation against two alleged military blunders: the Antwerp Expedition and the Battle of Coronel.The recipient, Walter Long (1854-1924), was a Conservative MP and senior party figure; he later served as Secretary of State for the Colonies (1916-19) and First Lord of the Admiralty (1919-21). Churchill had lost the post of First Lord of the Admiralty after the failure of Gallipoli in May 1915, and appointed the lesser role of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; his reputation was waning amid mounting criticism of his tenure as First Lord. Churchill writes "I am not seeking in any way to avoid my own great share of responsibility for all that has taken place". However, he wishes to contradict fictitious accounts in the press.The Antwerp Expedition was an ill-equipped naval brigade Churchill sent in early October 1914; on 3 October he arrived himself to inspire the Belgians. The city fell a week later, and the British troops were interned. Churchill writes: "That mission was to endeavour to prolong the resistance of Antwerp for a few more days... I will take the fullest responsibility for what I did in trying to prolong the defence... I shall always feel very deeply my responsibility for committing the city to the cruel bombardment which it endured in vain, but I shall never feel that the sacrifice was

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